What are no-fee schools?
No-fee schools are public schools that may not charge mandatory school fees. While the national policy designates all Quintile 1, 2, and 3 schools as no-fee, provincial education departments may also extend no-fee status to Quintile 4 and even Quintile 5 schools. In the Western Cape, over 200 Quintile 4 and 5 public schools have been declared no-fee. These schools receive higher per-learner allocations from the government to cover operational costs that fee-charging schools fund through fees.
How no-fee status is determined
No-fee status is linked directly to a school's quintile classification. All Quintile 1, 2, and 3 schools are automatically designated as no-fee schools. The quintile is based on the poverty level of the community surrounding the school, as measured by census data on income, unemployment, and literacy.
What no-fee schools can and cannot charge
No-fee schools may not charge mandatory school fees. However, they may request voluntary contributions, and many do fundraise for additional resources. Schools may also charge for specific items like school uniforms, stationery, or transport. If a no-fee school attempts to charge mandatory fees, parents can report this to the provincial education department.
Government funding for no-fee schools
No-fee schools receive a higher per-learner allocation than fee-charging schools. The national norms and standards for school funding set minimum per-learner amounts that increase from Quintile 5 (lowest allocation) to Quintile 1 (highest allocation). However, many schools report that the allocation does not fully cover their operational needs, which is why voluntary contributions and fundraising remain important.
Fee exemptions at fee-charging schools
Even at Quintile 4 and 5 fee-charging schools, the South African Schools Act requires that schools grant fee exemptions to parents who cannot afford fees. If a parent's combined annual income is less than ten times the annual school fee, they may qualify for a full or partial exemption. Schools may not exclude learners or withhold report cards for non-payment of fees.
Finding no-fee schools on SchoolSeek
You can filter schools by fee status on SchoolSeek. On any area page or the map explorer, use the "Fees" filter to show only no-fee schools. Each school profile also clearly displays whether the school is a no-fee school and its quintile classification.
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Data sourced from the Department of Basic Education EMIS database. Read our full methodology